National Football League

10 Fantasy Football sleepers from NFL Week 1

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Don’t miss these 10 fantasy football sleepers that had big weeks in Week 1 despite coming in off the fantasy radar.

Sep 11, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans quarterback Brock Osweiler (17) and wide receiver Will Fuller (15) celebrate after scoring a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at NRG Stadium. The Texans won 23-14. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Every week in fantasy football there are stars that come through and some that turn out to be busts. If you’re a savvy fantasy football owner, though, you know that there are also some very important players that step up each week and go from unknown to being need-to-know for next week. Those players are usually called fantasy football sleepers. They are players that were off the radar or under the radar coming into the week but had noteworthy week 1 performances.

Each week of the NFL Season, Monday will feature our top 10 fantasy scoring leaders, our top 10 fantasy football busts, and our top 10 fantasy football sleepers. In this post, I highlight the players that had little or no expectations coming into the week but stepped up and delivered good numbers. Whether due to bigger opportunities or better matchups, these players came through for their owners who were bold enough to play them. You definitely want to be aware of these players going forward and many will make our Tuesday list of waiver wire pickups to target.

You won’t find a ton of well-known names on this list unless they came back out of nowhere this week (like fantasy-zombies Dennis Pitta and Victor Cruz). Instead, these are names you may not know yet, but names you’ll want to at least be aware of going forward.

Make sure to check back later tomorrow for my top waiver wire pickups so that you can improve your fantasy football team going into Week 2. To catch all our coverage, drop a bookmark on our fantasy football hub and follow us on Twitter @FansidedFantasy. You can also check out our new start/sit tool and be sure to let us know how we can help your team be set up for success in the coming weeks.

Let’s jump right into the action as we look at these top ten fantasy football sleepers from week 1.

Sep 11, 2016; New Orleans, LA, USA; Oakland Raiders running back Jalen Richard (30) takes off on a 75-yard touchdown run against the New Orleans Saints during the fourth quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The Raiders won 35-34. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Jalen Richard-RB-Oakland Raiders

The Raiders got a huge win on the road, and their whole offense looked great albeit against a porous Saints defense. Rookie rusher Jalen Richard made quite a splash in his NFL debut although his usage will be a key factor in determining if he has any fantasy value.

Richard ripped off a 75-yard touchdown run on his first carry and finished with 84 yards on his there carries. He added two catches for 11 yards and could be passing DeAndre Washington as Latavius Murray’s primary backup.

Richard showed his playmaking chops in Week 1, and he is already stash option in many leagues. Running backs with that much sizzle are hard to come by, and Richard is one of the more interesting fantasy football sleepers to keep an eye on since he has an ultra-high ceiling in an exciting and rising offense.

Sep 11, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Eddie Royal (19) celebrates after scoring a touchdown during the second quarter against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Eddie Royal-WR-Chicago Bears

When Eddie Royal joined the Bears last season, he got some buzz as a fantasy option, but he struggled with injury all last season and never got a chance to contribute. Royal is known as a possession option that is especially effective around the end zone, and he delivered on that reputation in Week 1.

Royal hauled in four catches for 57 yards against the Texans in the Bears loss, and he did get into the end zone for a 19-yard touchdown. He showed a solid connection with Jay Cutler, and he should continue to get enough targets to be on the fringes of rosters in most standard formats.

Royal doesn’t have a super high ceiling, but the ninth-year player is a solid option who should get some catches every week. He isn’t my favorite option at wide receiver from our fantasy football sleepers, but he is worth considering if you’re desperate in PPR competitions.

Sep 11, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indianapolis Colts quarterback Andrew Luck (12) celebrates throwing a touchdown pass to tight end Jack Doyle (84) in the second half against the Detroit Lions at Lucas Oil Stadium. The Lions won 39-35. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Jack Doyle-TE-Indianapolis Colts

Of all the tight ends in the NFL, only one caught two touchdown passes in Week 1, and it was the unheard of Jack Doyle who gets a spot in our fantasy football sleepers as a result. Doyle was the object of scorn for all the Colts’ receivers’ owners on Twitter during the game since he was vulturing Luck’s touchdown passes.

In all, Doyle caught three of the four passes thrown his way for 35 yards to go with his two scores. He was obviously involved in the offense in the Red Zone as the team went to a two-tight end set whenever they got close to scoring.

As the season goes on, I don’t expect Doyle to stay this involved, so don’t worry about grabbing him off he waiver wire just yet. Doyle was the most shocking of all our fantasy football sleepers in Week 1, but he isn’t one to dive on the waiver wire for this week.

Sep 11, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; New England Patriots wide receiver Chris Hogan (15) celebrates after scoring a first quarter touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Chris Hogan-WR-New England Patriots

Since the Patriots signed him from Buffalo this offseason, I’ve been on Hogan as a nice WR pickup at the end of your draft when you’re prowling for fantasy football sleepers. He definitely is off to a good start after a big game Sunday, and should be interesting to watch going forward.

Hogan caught a first-quarter touchdown against a tough Cardinals defense and finished with three catches for 60 yards. He was clearly the Patriots’ #2 wide receiver behind Julian Edelman and had solid rapport with Jimmy Garropolo.

With Gronk’s status in doubt for the next couple weeks, Hogan should keep getting enough targets to be on the fantasy radar. He continues to build on a strong preseason and is fitting right in with the Patriots.

Sep 11, 2016; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Detroit Lions running back Theo Riddick (25) runs the ball in the first quarter of the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Theo Riddick-RB-Detroit Lions

The Lions held on for a wild win in week 1, and they did it by relying heavily on their running game after taking an early lead against Andrew Luck and the Colts. Riddick was heavily involved after signing his three-year extension last week.

The matchup against the Colts and the game situation worked out perfectly for Riddick who hauled in all five passes thrown his way and totaled 63 yards and a touchdown as a receiver. He added 45 more yards on the ground as well as scoring a second touchdown.

Riddick is definitely work a look in PPR leagues, but he is sharing time in the backfield with Ameer Abdullah and Dwayne Washington. He’ll likely be inconsistent week to week, but he is worth a look as one of the fantasy football sleepers to have a surprisingly good start to the season.

Sep 11, 2016; Arlington, TX, USA; Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Cole Beasley (11) bobbles an incomplete pass against the New York Giants at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

Cole Beasley-WR-Dallas Cowboys

If you’re in a PPR league, one of the fantasy football sleepers you can’t ignore is Cowboys’ receiver Cole Beasley. Beasley was targeted a massive 12 times as one of Dak Prescott’s go-to check down options. If he stays so involved, he could quickly develop into a PPR option for as long as Romo is out.

Beasley ultimately hauled in eight of his dozen targets for 65 yards. None of his catches went for more than 15 yards, but he was one bad drop from adding a touchdown to make it a full breakout performance.

I wouldn’t invest too heavily in Beasley, but at the right price he should be startable for the next few weeks as the Cowboys look to Prescott to get them through until Romo returns. Beasley doesn’t have a super-high ceiling but looks like he’ll get the targets to be useful.

Sep 11, 2016; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz (11) passes against the Cleveland Browns during the third quarter at Lincoln Financial Field. The Philadelphia Eagles won 29-10. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Carson Wentz-QB-Philadelphia Eagles

Probably the single most surprising performance of any of the fantasy football sleepers in Week 1 came from Eagles’ rookie QB Carson Wentz who jumped right into the starting lineup and led his team to a 29-10 win. Until the Sam Bradford trade last week, Wentz wasn’t even supposed to be starting.

The rookie from North Dakota State played a very solid game across the board throwing for 278 yards on 22-of-37 passing. He threw a pair of touchdowns and avoided turnovers. He did put the ball on the deck twice, but both times the Eagles were able to maintain possession.

The Eagles offense looked very solid in Week 1 under Wentz, but it is important to remember he was going up against the Browns. Cleveland looked horrible (again), but Wentz also looked totally legit.

Sep 11, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Texans wide receiver Will Fuller (15) makes a reception for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Chicago Bears at NRG Stadium. The Texans won 23-14. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Will Fuller-WR-Houston Texans

One of the more buzzed about fantasy football sleepers this preseason was Will Fuller of the Texans and the rookie delivered with a big Week 1. He actually even out-targeted DeAndre Hopkins in the Texans 23-14 win.

Fuller ended up with 107 yards on his five catches including one that went for a long touchdown. He could have had a second long touchdown strike in the second quarter but he dropped the ball. Fuller will have issues with drops all season, but his breakaway speed and clear number-two receiver spot make him must-own in almost all formats.

He probably won’t get double-digit targets most games, but clearly Brock Osweiler and coach Bill O’Brien see the potential in getting Fuller the ball. As teams focus on Hopkins on the other side, Fuller will take the top off of plenty of defenses this season. He’s one of the few fantasy football sleepers who may be worth all the preseason hype… although, another one who came through is on the next slide.

Sep 11, 2016; Nashville, TN, USA; Tennessee Titans wide receiver Tajae Sharpe (19) is tackled by Minnesota Vikings cornerback Jabari Price (25) after catching a pass during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Minnesota won 25-16. Mandatory Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports

Tajae Sharpe-WR-Tennessee Titans

All preseason, I’ve been in on UMass rookie Tajae Sharpe who has been one of the key pieces of the re-vamped Tennessee attack. Granted, the Titans offense looked very un-inspiring overall in Week 1, but Tajae Sharpe had the look of one of the more sure-fire fantasy football sleepers especially in PPR leagues.

One of the reason I really like Sharpe is that he draw so many targets. He had 11 passes thrown his way on Sunday, and he hauled in seven catches for 76 yards. He didn’t get into the end zone, but he clearly was the go-to number 1 option in the Titans’ passing attack.

While I don’t see him as having the sky-high upside of Will Fuller, I do think Sharpe is a great add to make in PPR leagues since he should see high volume targets on a weekly basis. Fuller is definitely going to have down weeks when DeAndre Hopkins gets all the work while Sharpe will be a more steady contributor. He doesn’t have quite as high a ceiling as the big-play-potential-ridden Fuller, but his steady weekly numbers should make him a starter.

Sep 11, 2016; Atlanta, GA, USA; Atlanta Falcons running back Tevin Coleman (26) carries the ball in the third quarter of their game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at the Georgia Dome. The Buccaneers won 31-24. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Tevin Coleman-RB-Atlanta Falcons

Last season, the Falcons gave us the hottest of all fantasy football sleepers after Devonta Freeman emerged as a star and ultimately led all running backs in fantasy points. In Week 1, Freeman struggled badly and a new option emerged on the landscape of fantasy football sleepers thanks to the exception play of Tevin Coleman.

Coleman was slated to share work with Freeman last season, but he went down with an injury early in the year and never got a chance to earn a piece of the action. Based on their Week 1 performances, Coleman may be the one with more fantasy potential going forward.

Neither running back got into the end zone, but it was Coleman who got most of the receiving down snaps down the stretch. Freeman did get more snaps (36-32) and more touches (15-13), but Coleman totaled 117 yards to just 40 for Freeman. As the season progresses, they will probably limit each other’s value too much for either to be a standout, but Coleman is definitely one of the fantasy football sleepers who had surprising lines in Week 1.